Genetic modification of plant cell walls to enhance biomass yield and biofuel production in bioenergy crops

Integrating bioprocess and metagenomics studies to enhance humic acid production from rice straw

Rice straw burning annually (millions of tons) leads to greenhouse gas emissions, and an alternative solution is producing humic acid with high added-value. This study aimed to examine the influence of a microbial consortium and other additives (chicken manure, urea, olive mill waste, zeolite, and biochar) on the composting process of rice straw and the subsequent production of humic acid. Results showed that among the fungal species, Thermoascus aurantiacus exhibited the most prominent impact in expediting maturation and improving compost quality, and Bacillus subtilis was the most abundant bacterial species based on metagenomics analysis. The highest temperature, C/N ratio reduction, and amount of humic acid production (Respectively in lab 61 °C, 54.67%, 298 g kg-1 and in pilot level 65 °C, 72.11%, 310 g kg-1) were related to treatments containing these microorganisms and other additives except urea. Consequently, T. aurantiacus and B. subtilis can be employed on an industrial scale as compost additives to further elevate quality. Functional analysis showed that the bacterial enzymes in the treatments had the highest metabolic activities, including carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism compared to the control. The maximum enzymatic activities were in the thermophilic phase in treatments which were significantly higher than that in the control. The research emphasizes the importance of identifying and incorporating enzymatically active strains that are suitable for temperature conditions, alongside the native strains in decomposing materials. This strategy significantly improves the composting process and yields high-quality humic acid during the thermophilic phase.

Cellulose de-polymerization is selective for bioethanol refinery and multi-functional biochar assembly using brittle stalk of corn mutant

As lignocellulose recalcitrance principally restricts for a cost-effective conversion into biofuels and bioproducts, this study re-selected the brittle stalk of corn mutant by MuDR-transposon insertion, and detected much reduced cellulose polymerization and crystallinity. Using recyclable CaO chemical for biomass pretreatment, we determined a consistently enhanced enzymatic saccharification of pretreated corn brittle stalk for higher-yield bioethanol conversion. Furthermore, the enzyme-undigestible lignocellulose was treated with two-step thermal-chemical processes via FeCl2 catalysis and KOH activation to generate the biochar with significantly raised adsorption capacities with two industry dyes (methylene blue and Congo red). However, the desirable biochar was attained from one-step KOH treatment with the entire brittle stalk, which was characterized as the highly-porous nanocarbon that is of the largest specific surface area at 1697.34 m2/g and 2-fold higher dyes adsorption. Notably, this nanocarbon enabled to eliminate the most toxic compounds released from CaO pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis, and also showed much improved electrochemical performance with specific capacitance at 205 F/g. Hence, this work has raised a mechanism model to interpret how the recalcitrance-reduced lignocellulose is convertible for high-yield bioethanol and multiple-function biochar with high performance.

Side chain of confined xylan affects cellulose integrity leading to bending stem with reduced mechanical strength in ornamental plants

The stem support for fresh-cut flowers exerts a profound influence on the display of their blossoms. During vase insertion, bending stems significantly affect the ornamental value, but much remains unclear about the underlying reasons. In this study, six pairs of ornamental plants were screened for the contrast of bending and straight stems. The bending stems have weakened mechanical force and biomass recalcitrance compared with the straight ones. Meanwhile, cells in the bending stems became more loosely packed, along with a decrease in cell wall thickness and cellulose levels. Furthermore, wall properties characterizations show bending stems have decreased lignocellulosic CrI and cellulose DP, and enhanced the branching ratio of hemicellulose which is trapped in the cellulose. Given the distinct cell wall factors in different species, all data are grouped in standardized to eliminate the variations among plant species. The principal composition analysis and correlation analysis of the processed dataset strongly suggest that cellulose association factors determine the stem mechanical force and recalcitrance. Based on our results, we propose a model for how branches of confined hemicellulose interacted with cellulose to modulate stem strength support for the straight or bending phenotype in cut flowers.

Structural and biofunctional diversity of sulfated polysaccharides from the genus Codium (Bryopsidales, Chlorophyta): A review

It is believed that polysaccharides will become a focal point for future production of food, pharmaceuticals, and materials due to their ubiquitous and renewable nature, as well as their exceptional properties that have been extensively validated in the fields of nutrition, healthcare, and materials. Sulfated polysaccharides derived from seaweed sources have attracted considerable attention owing to their distinctive structures and properties. The genus Codium, represented by the species C. fragile, holds significance as a vital economic green seaweed and serves as a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. To date, the cell walls of the genus Codium have been found to contain at least four types of sulfated polysaccharides, specifically pyruvylated β-d-galactan sulfates, sulfated arabinogalactans, sulfated β-l-arabinans, and sulfated β-d-mannans. These sulfated polysaccharides exhibit diverse biofunctions, including anticoagulant, immune-enhancing, anticancer, antioxidant activities, and drug-carrying capacity. This review explores the structural and biofunctional diversity of sulfated polysaccharides derived from the genus Codium. Additionally, in addressing the impending challenges within the industrialization of these polysaccharides, encompassing concerns regarding scale-up production and quality control, we outline potential strategies to address these challenges from the perspectives of raw materials, extraction processes, purification technologies, and methods for quality control.

Genetic linkage analysis of stable QTLs in Gossypium hirsutum RIL population revealed function of GhCesA4 in fiber development

INTRODUCTION

Upland cotton is an important allotetrapolyploid crop providing natural fibers for textile industry. Under the present high-level breeding and production conditions, further simultaneous improvement of fiber quality and yield is facing unprecedented challenges due to their complex negative correlations.

OBJECTIVES

The study was to adequately identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and dissect how they orchestrate the formation of fiber quality and yield.

METHODS

A high-density genetic map (HDGM) based on an intraspecific recombinant inbred line (RIL) population consisting of 231 individuals was used to identify QTLs and QTL clusters of fiber quality and yield traits. The weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) package in R software was utilized to identify WGCNA network and hub genes related to fiber development. Gene functions were verified via virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 strategies.

RESULTS

An HDGM consisting of 8045 markers was constructed spanning 4943.01 cM of cotton genome. A total of 295 QTLs were identified based on multi-environmental phenotypes. Among 139 stable QTLs, including 35 newly identified ones, seventy five were of fiber quality and 64 yield traits. A total of 33 QTL clusters harboring 74 QTLs were identified. Eleven candidate hub genes were identified via WGCNA using genes in all stable QTLs and QTL clusters. The relative expression profiles of these hub genes revealed their correlations with fiber development. VIGS and CRISPR/Cas9 edition revealed that the hub gene cellulose synthase 4 (GhCesA4, GH_D07G2262) positively regulate fiber length and fiber strength formation and negatively lint percentage.

CONCLUSION

Multiple analyses demonstrate that the hub genes harbored in the QTLs orchestrate the fiber development. The hub gene GhCesA4 has opposite pleiotropic effects in regulating trait formation of fiber quality and yield. The results facilitate understanding the genetic basis of negative correlation between cotton fiber quality and yield.

Metabolic priming in G6PDH isoenzyme-replaced tobacco lines improves stress tolerance and seed yields via altering assimilate partitioning

We investigated the basis for better performance of transgenic Nicotiana tabacum plants with G6PDH-isoenzyme replacement in the cytosol (Xanthi::cP2::cytRNAi, Scharte et al., 2009). After six generations of selfing, infiltration of Phytophthora nicotianae zoospores into source leaves confirmed that defence responses (ROS, callose) are accelerated, showing as fast cell death of the infected tissue. Yet, stress-related hormone profiles resembled susceptible Xanthi and not resistant cultivar SNN, hinting at mainly metabolic adjustments in the transgenic lines. Leaves of non-stressed plants contained twofold elevated fructose-2,6-bisphosphate (F2,6P2 ) levels, leading to partial sugar retention (soluble sugars, starch) and elevated hexose-to-sucrose ratios, but also more lipids. Above-ground biomass lay in between susceptible Xanthi and resistant SNN, with photo-assimilates preferentially allocated to inflorescences. Seeds were heavier with higher lipid-to-carbohydrate ratios, resulting in increased harvest yields - also under water limitation. Abiotic stress tolerance (salt, drought) was improved during germination, and in floated leaf disks of non-stressed plants. In leaves of salt-watered plants, proline accumulated to higher levels during illumination, concomitant with efficient NADP(H) use and recycling. Non-stressed plants showed enhanced PSII-induction kinetics (upon dark-light transition) with little differences at the stationary phase. Leaf exudates contained 10% less sucrose, similar amino acids, but more fatty acids - especially in the light. Export of specific fatty acids via the phloem may contribute to both, earlier flowering and higher seed yields of the Xanthi-cP2 lines. Apparently, metabolic priming by F2,6P2 -combined with sustained NADP(H) turnover-bypasses the genetically fixed growth-defence trade-off, rendering tobacco plants more stress-resilient and productive.

A comprehensive review on genetic modification of plant cell wall for improved saccharification efficiency

The focus is now on harnessing energy from green sources through sustainable technology to minimize environmental pollution. Several crop residues including rice and wheat straw are having enormous potential to be used as lignocellulosic source material for bioenergy production. The lignocellulosic feedstock is primarily composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin cell wall polymers. The hemicellulose and lignin polymers induce crosslinks in the cell wall, by firmly associating with cellulose microfibrils, and thereby, denying considerable access of cellulose to cellulase enzymes. This issue has been addressed by various researchers through downregulating several genes associated in monolignol biosynthesis in Arabidopsis, Poplar, Rice and Switchgrass to increase ethanol recovery. Similarly, xylan biosynthetic genes are also targeted to genetically culminate its accumulation in the secondary cell walls. Regulation of cellulose synthases (CesA) proves to be an effective tool in addressing the negative impact of these two factors. Modification in the expression of cellulose synthase aids in reducing cellulose crystallinity as well as polymerisation degree which in turn increases ethanol recovery. The engineered bioenergy crops and various fungal strains with state of art biomass processing techniques presents the most recent integrative biotechnology model for cost effective green fuels generation along with production of key value-added products with minuscule disturbances in the environment. Plant breeding strategies utilizing the existing variability for biomass traits will be key in developing dual purpose varieties. For this purpose, reorientation of conventional breeding techniques for incorporating useful biomass traits will be effective.

Cell-type-specific control of secondary cell wall formation by Musashi-type translational regulators in Arabidopsis

Deciphering the mechanism of secondary cell wall/SCW formation in plants is key to understanding their development and the molecular basis of biomass recalcitrance. Although transcriptional regulation is essential for SCW formation, little is known about the implication of post-transcriptional mechanisms in this process. Here we report that two bonafide RNA-binding proteins homologous to the animal translational regulator Musashi, MSIL2 and MSIL4, function redundantly to control SCW formation in Arabidopsis. MSIL2/4 interactomes are similar and enriched in proteins involved in mRNA binding and translational regulation. MSIL2/4 mutations alter SCW formation in the fibers, leading to a reduction in lignin deposition, and an increase of 4-O-glucuronoxylan methylation. In accordance, quantitative proteomics of stems reveal an overaccumulation of glucuronoxylan biosynthetic machinery, including GXM3, in the msil2/4 mutant stem. We showed that MSIL4 immunoprecipitates GXM mRNAs, suggesting a novel aspect of SCW regulation, linking post-transcriptional control to the regulation of SCW biosynthesis genes.

Improving Enzymatic Saccharification of Peach Palm (Bactris gasipaes) Wastes via Biological Pretreatment with Pleurotus ostreatus

The white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus was used for biological pretreatment of peach palm (Bactris gasipaes) lignocellulosic wastes. Non-treated and treated B. gasipaes inner sheaths and peel were submitted to hydrolysis using a commercial cellulase preparation from T. reesei. The amounts of total reducing sugars and glucose obtained from the 30 d-pretreated inner sheaths were seven and five times higher, respectively, than those obtained from the inner sheaths without pretreatment. No such improvement was found, however, in the pretreated B. gasipaes peels. Scanning electronic microscopy of the lignocellulosic fibers was performed to verify the structural changes caused by the biological pretreatments. Upon the biological pretreatment, the lignocellulosic structures of the inner sheaths were substantially modified, making them less ordered. The main features of the modifications were the detachment of the fibers, cell wall collapse and, in several cases, the formation of pores in the cell wall surfaces. The peel lignocellulosic fibers showed more ordered fibrils and no modification was observed after pre-treatment. In conclusion, a seven-fold increase in the enzymatic saccharification of the Bactris gasipaes inner sheath was observed after pre-treatment, while no improvement in enzymatic saccharification was observed in the B. gasipaes peel.

Syntaxin of plants71 plays essential roles in plant development and stress response via regulating pH homeostasis

SYP71, a plant-specific Qc-SNARE with multiple subcellular localization, is essential for symbiotic nitrogen fixation in nodules in Lotus, and is implicated in plant resistance to pathogenesis in rice, wheat and soybean. Arabidopsis SYP71 is proposed to participate in multiple membrane fusion steps during secretion. To date, the molecular mechanism underlying SYP71 regulation on plant development remains elusive. In this study, we clarified that AtSYP71 is essential for plant development and stress response, using techniques of cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, and transcriptomics. AtSYP71-knockout mutant atsyp71-1 was lethal at early development stage due to the failure of root elongation and albinism of the leaves. AtSYP71-knockdown mutants, atsyp71-2 and atsyp71-3, had short roots, delayed early development, and altered stress response. The cell wall structure and components changed significantly in atsyp71-2 due to disrupted cell wall biosynthesis and dynamics. Reactive oxygen species homeostasis and pH homeostasis were also collapsed in atsyp71-2. All these defects were likely resulted from blocked secretion pathway in the mutants. Strikingly, change of pH value significantly affected ROS homeostasis in atsyp71-2, suggesting interconnection between ROS and pH homeostasis. Furthermore, we identified AtSYP71 partners and propose that AtSYP71 forms distinct SNARE complexes to mediate multiple membrane fusion steps in secretory pathway. Our findings suggest that AtSYP71 plays an essential role in plant development and stress response via regulating pH homeostasis through secretory pathway.

BsEXLX of engineered Trichoderma reesei strain as dual-active expansin to boost cellulases secretion for synergistic enhancement of biomass enzymatic saccharification in corn and Miscanthus straws

In this study, bacterial BsEXLE1 gene was overexpressed into T. reesei (Rut-C30) to generate a desirable engineered TrEXLX10 strain. While incubated with alkali-pretreated Miscanthus straw as carbon source, the TrEXLX10 secreted the β-glucosidases, cellobiohydrolases and xylanses with activities raised by 34%, 82% and 159% compared to the Rut-C30. Supplying EXLX10-secreted crude enzymes and commercial mixed-cellulases for two-step lignocellulose hydrolyses of corn and Miscanthus straws after mild alkali pretreatments, this work measured consistently higher hexoses yields released by the EXLX10-secreted enzymes for synergistic enhancements of biomass saccharification in all parallel experiments examined. Meanwhile, this study detected that the expansin, purified from EXLX10-secreted solution, was of exceptionally high binding activities with wall polymers, and further determined its independent enhancement for cellulose hydrolysis. Therefore, this study raised a mechanism model to highlight EXLX/expansin dual-activation roles for both secretion of stable biomass-degradation enzymes at high activity and biomass enzymatic saccharification in bioenergy crops.

Sustainable lignocellulose fractionation by integrating p-toluenesulfonic acid/pentanol pretreatment with mannitol for efficient production of glucose, native-like lignin, and furfural

A new cutting-edge lignocellulose fractionation technology for the co-production of glucose, native-like lignin, and furfural was introduced using mannitol (MT)-assisted p-toluenesulfonic acid/pentanol pretreatment, as an eco-friendly process. The addition of optimized 5% MT in pretreatment enhanced the delignification rate by 29% and enlarged the surface area and biomass porosity by 1.07-1.80 folds. This increased the glucose yield by 45% (from 65.34 to 94.54%) after enzymatic hydrolysis relative to those without MT. The extracted lignin in the organic phase of pretreatment exhibited β-O-4 bonds (61.54/100 Ar) properties of native cellulosic enzyme lignin. Lignin characterization and molecular docking analyses revealed that the hydroxyl tails of MT were incorporated with lignin and formed etherified lignin, which preserved high lignin integrity. The solubilized hemicellulose (96%) in the liquid phase of pretreatment was converted into furfural with a yield of 83.99%. The MT-assisted pretreatment could contribute to a waste-free biorefinery pathway toward a circular bioeconomy.

Full-Chain FeCl(3) Catalyzation Is Sufficient to Boost Cellulase Secretion and Cellulosic Ethanol along with Valorized Supercapacitor and Biosorbent Using Desirable Corn Stalk

Cellulosic ethanol is regarded as a perfect additive for petrol fuels for global carbon neutralization. As bioethanol conversion requires strong biomass pretreatment and overpriced enzymatic hydrolysis, it is increasingly considered in the exploration of biomass processes with fewer chemicals for cost-effective biofuels and value-added bioproducts. In this study, we performed optimal liquid-hot-water pretreatment (190 °C for 10 min) co-supplied with 4% FeCl₃ to achieve the near-complete biomass enzymatic saccharification of desirable corn stalk for high bioethanol production, and all the enzyme-undigestible lignocellulose residues were then examined as active biosorbents for high Cd adsorption. Furthermore, by incubating Trichoderma reesei with the desired corn stalk co-supplied with 0.05% FeCl₃ for the secretion of lignocellulose-degradation enzymes in vivo, we examined five secreted enzyme activities elevated by 1.3-3.0-fold in vitro, compared to the control without FeCl₃ supplementation. After further supplying 1:2 (w/w) FeCl₃ into the T. reesei-undigested lignocellulose residue for the thermal-carbonization process, we generated highly porous carbon with specific electroconductivity raised by 3-12-fold for the supercapacitor. Therefore, this work demonstrates that FeCl₃ can act as a universal catalyst for the full-chain enhancement of biological, biochemical, and chemical conversions of lignocellulose substrates, providing a green-like strategy for low-cost biofuels and high-value bioproducts.

Challenges and perspectives of green-like lignocellulose pretreatments selectable for low-cost biofuels and high-value bioproduction

Lignocellulose represents the most abundant carbon-capturing substance that is convertible for biofuels and bioproduction. Although biomass pretreatments have been broadly applied to reduce lignocellulose recalcitrance for enhanced enzymatic saccharification, they mostly require strong conditions with potential secondary waste release. By classifying all major types of pretreatments that have been recently conducted with different sources of lignocellulose substrates, this study sorted out their distinct roles for wall polymer extraction and destruction, leading to the optimal pretreatments evaluated for cost-effective biomass enzymatic saccharification to maximize biofuel production. Notably, all undigestible lignocellulose residues are also aimed for effective conversion into value-added bioproduction. Meanwhile, desired pretreatments were proposed for the generation of highly-valuable nanomaterials such as cellulose nanocrystals, lignin nanoparticles, functional wood, carbon dots, porous and graphitic nanocarbons. Therefore, this article has proposed a novel strategy that integrates cost-effective and green-like pretreatments with desirable lignocellulose substrates for a full lignocellulose utilization with zero-biomass-waste liberation.

Positive role of non-catalytic proteins on mitigating inhibitory effects of lignin and enhancing cellulase activity in enzymatic hydrolysis: Application, mechanism, and prospective

Fermentable sugar production from lignocellulosic biomass has received considerable attention and has been dramatic progress recently. However, due to low enzymatic hydrolysis (EH) yields and rates, a high dosage of the costly enzyme is required, which is a bottleneck for commercial applications. Over the last decades, various strategies have been developed to reduce cellulase enzyme costs. The progress of the non-catalytic additive proteins in mitigating inhibition in EH is discussed in detail in this review. The low efficiency of EH is mostly due to soluble lignin compounds, insoluble lignin, and harsh thermal and mechanical conditions of the EH process. Adding non-catalytic proteins into the EH is considered a simple and efficient approach to boost hydrolysis yield. This review discussed the multiple mechanical steps involved in the EH process. The effect of physicochemical properties of modified lignin on EH and its interaction with cellulase and cellulose are identified and discussed, which include hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic, electrostatic, and cation-π interactions, as well as physical barriers. Moreover, the effects of different conditions of EH that lead to cellulase deactivation by thermal and mechanical mechanisms are also explained. Finally, recent advances in the development, potential mechanisms, and economic feasibility of non-catalytic proteins on EH are evaluated and perspectives are presented.

Overexpression of PtoMYB115 improves lignocellulose recalcitrance to enhance biomass digestibility and bioethanol yield by specifically regulating lignin biosynthesis in transgenic poplar

Background

Woody plants provide the most abundant biomass resource that is convertible for biofuels. Since lignin is a crucial recalcitrant factor against lignocellulose hydrolysis, genetic engineering of lignin biosynthesis is considered as a promising solution. Many MYB transcription factors have been identified to involve in the regulation of cell wall formation or phenylpropanoid pathway. In a previous study, we identified that PtoMYB115 contributes to the regulation of proanthocyanidin pathway, however, little is known about its role in lignocellulose biosynthesis and biomass saccharification in poplar.

Results

Here, we detected the changes of cell wall features and examined biomass enzymatic saccharification for bioethanol production under various chemical pretreatments in PtoMYB115 transgenic plants. We reported that PtoMYB115 might specifically regulate lignin biosynthesis to affect xylem development. Overexpression of PtoMYB115 altered lignin biosynthetic gene expression, resulting in reduced lignin deposition, raised S/G and beta-O-4 linkage, resulting in a significant reduction in cellulase adsorption with lignin and an increment in cellulose accessibility. These alterations consequently improved lignocellulose recalcitrance for significantly enhanced biomass saccharification and bioethanol yield in the PtoMYB115-OE transgenic lines. In contrast, the knockout of PtoMYB115 by CRISPR/Cas9 showed reduced woody utilization under various chemical pretreatments.

Conclusions

This study shows that PtoMYB115 plays an important role in specifically regulating lignin biosynthesis and improving lignocellulose features. The enhanced biomass saccharification and bioethanol yield in the PtoMYB115-OE lines suggests that PtoMYB115 is a candidate gene for genetic modification to facilitate the utilization of biomass.

CEF3 is involved in membrane trafficking and essential for secondary cell wall biosynthesis and its mutation enhanced biomass enzymatic saccharification in rice

Background

As one of the most important staple food crops, rice produces large of agronomic biomass residues that contain lots of secondary cell walls (SCWs). Membrane trafficking plays key roles in SCWs biosynthesis, but information association membrane trafficking and SCWs formation in plants is limited.

Results

In this study, we report the function characterization of a rice mutant, culm easily fragile 3 (cef3), that exhibits growth retardation and fragile culm phenotype with significantly altered cell wall composition and reduced secondary wall thickness. Map-based cloning revealed that CEF3 encodes a homologous protein of Arabidopsis STOMATAL CYTOKINESIS DEFECTIVE2 (SCD2). The saccharification assays revealed that CEF3 mutation can improve biomass enzymatic saccharification. Expression pattern analysis indicated that CEF3 is ubiquitously expressed in many organs at different developmental stages. Subcellular localization revealed that CEF3 is a Golgi-localized protein. The FM4-64 uptake assay revealed CEF3 is involved in endocytosis. Furthermore, mutation of CEF3 not only affected cellulose synthesis-related genes expression, but also altered the abundance of cellulose synthase catalytic subunit 9 (OsCESA9) in the PM and in the endomembrane systems.

Conclusions

This study has demonstrated that CEF3 participates in the membrane trafficking that is essential for normal cellulose and other polysaccharides biosynthesis of the secondary cell wall, thereby manipulation of CEF3 could alter cellulose content and enhance biomass enzymatic saccharification in rice plants. Therefore, the study of the function of CEF3 can provide a strategy for genetic modification of SCWs in bioenergy crops.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13068-022-02205-y.

Polysaccharide-based nanosystems: a review

Polysaccharide-based nanosystem is an umbrella term for many areas within research and technology dealing with polysaccharides that have at least one of their dimensions in the realm of a few hundreds of nanometers. Nanoparticles, nanocrystals, nanofibers, nanofilms, and nanonetworks can be fabricated from many different polysaccharide resources. Abundance in nature, cellulose, starch, chitosan, and pectin of different molecular structures are widely used to fabricate nanosystems for versatile industrial applications. This review presents the dissolution and modification of polysaccharides, which are influenced by their different molecular structures and applications. The dissolution ways include conventional organic solvents, ionic liquids, inorganic strong alkali and acids, enzymes, and hydrothermal treatment. Rheological properties of polysaccharide-based nano slurries are tailored for the purpose functions of the final products, e.g., imparting electrostatic functions of nanofibers to reduce viscosity by using lithium chloride and octenyl succinic acid to increase the hydrophobicity. Nowadays, synergistic effects of polysaccharide blends are increasingly highlighted. In particular, the reinforcing effect of nanoparticles, nanocrystals, nanowhiskers, and nanofibers to hydrogels, aerogels, and scaffolds, and the double network hydrogels of a rigid skeleton and a ductile substance have been developed for many emerging issues.

Expression of Exogenous GFP-CesA6 in Tobacco Enhances Cell Wall Biosynthesis and Biomass Production

Simple Summary

Cellulose is synthesized at the plasma membrane by an enzymatic complex constituted by different cellulose synthase (CesA) proteins. The overexpression of CesA genes has been assessed for increasing cellulose biosynthesis and plant biomass. In this study, we analyzed transgenic tobacco plants (F₃1 line), stably expressing the Arabidopsis CesA6 fused to GFP, for possible variations in the cellulose biosynthesis. We found that F₃1 plants were bigger than the wild-type (wt), showing significant increases of stem height, root length, and leaf area. They bloomed about 3 weeks earlier and yielded more flowers and seeds than wt. In the F₃1 leaves, the expression of the exogenous GFP-CesA6 prompted the overexpression of all CesAs involved in the synthesis of primary cell wall cellulose and of other proteins responsible for plant cell wall building and remodeling. Instead, secondary cell wall CesAs were not affected. In the F₃1 stem, showing a 3.3-fold increase of the secondary xylem thickness, both primary and secondary CesAs expression was differentially modulated. Significantly, the amounts of cellulose and matrix polysaccharides increased in the transformed seedlings. The results evidence the potentiality to overexpress primary CesAs in tobacco for biomass production increase.

Abstract

Improved cellulose biosynthesis and plant biomass represent important economic targets for several biotechnological applications including bioenergy and biofuel production. The attempts to increase the biosynthesis of cellulose by overexpressing CesAs proteins, components of the cellulose synthase complex, has not always produced consistent results. Analyses of morphological and molecular data and of the chemical composition of cell walls showed that tobacco plants (F₃1 line), stably expressing the Arabidopsis CesA6 fused to GFP, exhibits a “giant” phenotype with no apparent other morphological aberrations. In the F₃1 line, all evaluated growth parameters, such as stem and root length, leaf size, and lignified secondary xylem, were significantly higher than in wt. Furthermore, F₃1 line exhibited increased flower and seed number, and an advance of about 20 days in the anthesis. In the leaves of F₃1 seedlings, the expression of primary CesAs (NtCesA1, NtCesA3, and NtCesA6) was enhanced, as well as of proteins involved in the biosynthesis of non-cellulosic polysaccharides (xyloglucans and galacturonans, NtXyl4, NtGal10), cell wall remodeling (NtExp11 and XTHs), and cell expansion (NtPIP1.1 and NtPIP2.7). While in leaves the expression level of all secondary cell wall CesAs (NtCesA4, NtCesA7, and NtCesA8) did not change significantly, both primary and secondary CesAs were differentially expressed in the stem. The amount of cellulose and matrix polysaccharides significantly increased in the F₃1 seedlings with no differences in pectin and hemicellulose glycosyl composition. Our results highlight the potentiality to overexpress primary CesAs in tobacco plants to enhance cellulose synthesis and biomass production.

Recent Advances in the Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Furfural in Deep Eutectic Solvents

Lignocellulose is recognized as an ideal raw material for biorefinery as it may be converted into biofuels and value-added products through a series of chemical routes. Furfural, a bio-based platform chemical generated from lignocellulosic biomass, has been identified as a very versatile alternative to fossil fuels. Deep eutectic solvents (DES) are new “green” solvents, which have been employed as green and cheap alternatives to traditional organic solvents and ionic liquids (ILs), with the advantages of low cost, low toxicity, and biodegradability, and also have been proven to be effective media for the synthesis of biomass-derived chemicals. This review summarizes the recent advances in the conversion of carbohydrates to furfural in DES solvent systems, which mainly focus on the effect of adding different catalysts to the DES system, including metal halides, water, solid acid catalyst, and certain oxides, on the production of furfural. Moreover, the challenges and perspectives of DES-assisted furfural synthesis in biorefinery systems are also discussed in this review.

Down-regulation of OsMYB103L distinctively alters beta-1,4-glucan polymerization and cellulose microfibers assembly for enhanced biomass enzymatic saccharification in rice

BACKGROUND

As a major component of plant cell walls, cellulose provides the most abundant biomass resource convertible for biofuels. Since cellulose crystallinity and polymerization have been characterized as two major features accounting for lignocellulose recalcitrance against biomass enzymatic saccharification, genetic engineering of cellulose biosynthesis is increasingly considered as a promising solution in bioenergy crops. Although several transcription factors have been identified to regulate cellulose biosynthesis and plant cell wall formation, much remains unknown about its potential roles for genetic improvement of lignocellulose recalcitrance.

RESULTS

In this study, we identified a novel rice mutant (Osfc9/myb103) encoded a R2R3-MYB transcription factor, and meanwhile generated OsMYB103L-RNAi-silenced transgenic lines. We determined significantly reduced cellulose levels with other major wall polymers (hemicellulose, lignin) slightly altered in mature rice straws of the myb103 mutant and RNAi line, compared to their wild type (NPB). Notably, the rice mutant and RNAi line were of significantly reduced cellulose features (crystalline index/CrI, degree of polymerization/DP) and distinct cellulose nanofibers assembly. These alterations consequently improved lignocellulose recalcitrance for significantly enhanced biomass enzymatic saccharification by 10-28% at p < 0.01 levels (n = 3) after liquid hot water and chemical (1% H₂SO₄, 1% NaOH) pretreatments with mature rice straws. In addition, integrated RNA sequencing with DNA affinity purification sequencing (DAP-seq) analyses revealed that the OsMYB103L might specifically mediate cellulose biosynthesis and deposition by regulating OsCesAs and other genes associated with microfibril assembly.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has demonstrated that down-regulation of OsMYB103L could specifically improve cellulose features and cellulose nanofibers assembly to significantly enhance biomass enzymatic saccharification under green-like and mild chemical pretreatments in rice. It has not only indicated a powerful strategy for genetic modification of plant cell walls in bioenergy crops, but also provided insights into transcriptional regulation of cellulose biosynthesis in plants.

Unveiling the transcriptomic complexity of Miscanthus sinensis using a combination of PacBio long read- and Illumina short read sequencing platforms

Background

Miscanthus sinensis Andersson is a perennial grass that exhibits remarkable lignocellulose characteristics suitable for sustainable bioenergy production. However, knowledge of the genetic resources of this species is relatively limited, which considerably hampers further work on its biology and genetic improvement.

Results

In this study, through analyzing the transcriptome of mixed samples of leaves and stems using the latest PacBio Iso-Seq sequencing technology combined with Illumina HiSeq, we report the first full-length transcriptome dataset of M. sinensis with a total of 58.21 Gb clean data. An average of 15.75 Gb clean reads of each sample were obtained from the PacBio Iso-Seq system, which doubled the data size (6.68 Gb) obtained from the Illumina HiSeq platform. The integrated analyses of PacBio- and Illumina-based transcriptomic data uncovered 408,801 non-redundant transcripts with an average length of 1,685 bp. Of those, 189,406 transcripts were commonly identified by both methods, 169,149 transcripts with an average length of 619 bp were uniquely identified by Illumina HiSeq, and 51,246 transcripts with an average length of 2,535 bp were uniquely identified by PacBio Iso-Seq. Approximately 96 % of the final combined transcripts were mapped back to the Miscanthus genome, reflecting the high quality and coverage of our sequencing results. When comparing our data with genomes of four species of Andropogoneae, M. sinensis showed the closest relationship with sugarcane with up to 93 % mapping ratios, followed by sorghum with up to 80 % mapping ratios, indicating a high conservation of orthologs in these three genomes. Furthermore, 306,228 transcripts were successfully annotated against public databases including cell wall related genes and transcript factor families, thus providing many new insights into gene functions. The PacBio Iso-Seq data also helped identify 3,898 alternative splicing events and 2,963 annotated AS isoforms within 10 function categories.

Conclusions

Taken together, the present study provides a rich data set of full-length transcripts that greatly enriches our understanding of M. sinensis transcriptomic resources, thus facilitating further genetic improvement and molecular studies of the Miscanthus species.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-07971-x.

MPDB 2.0: a large scale and integrated medicinal plant database of Bangladesh

Objective

MPDB 2.0 is built to be the continuation of MPDB 1.0, to serve as a more comprehensive data repertoire for Bangladeshi medicinal plants, and to provide a user-friendly interface for researchers, health practitioners, drug developers, and students who wish to study the various medicinal & nutritive plants scattered around Bangladesh and the underlying phytochemicals contributing to their efficacy in Bangladeshi folk medicine.

Results

MPDB 2.0 database (https://www.medicinalplantbd.com/) comprises a collection of more than five hundred Bangladeshi medicinal plants, alongside a record of their corresponding scientific, family, and local names together with their utilized parts, information regarding ailments, active compounds, and PubMed ID of related publications. While medicinal plants are not limited to the borders of any country, Bangladesh and its Southeast Asian neighbors do boast a huge collection of potent medicinal plants with considerable folk-medicinal history compared to most other countries in the world. Development of MPDB 2.0 has been highly focused upon human diseases, albeit many of the plants indexed here can serve in developing biofuel (e.g.: Jatropha curcas used in biofuel) or bioremediation technologies (e.g.: Amaranthus cruentus helps to reduce cadmium level in soil) or nutritive diets (Terminalia chebula can be used in nutritive diets) or cosmetics (Aloe vera used in cosmetics), etc.

Agricultural bio-waste for removal of organic and inorganic contaminants from waste diesel engine oil

Corncob, an agricultural bio-waste, was used as adsorbent to remove organic and inorganic contaminants in waste lubricating oil (WLO) from diesel engine. To improve its adsorption capacity, corncob was modified with mixed solution of nitric acid, Hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide and ethanol. Characterization results showed the crystallinity index of corncob enhanced 12%, which would be ascribed to the disruption of the dense lignin-carbohydrates structure in lignocellulose biomass by modification. The surface of modified corncob became smoother and porous. The adsorption results showed modified corncob had better removal rates to contaminants than raw corncob. For WLO with 80,000 km mileage, the removal rates to Fe, Al, Cu were enhanced from 19%, 6.4%, 48-27%, 27%, 53%, while that for oxide, sulphate, aromates, soot and insoluble resins were enhanced 1.7, 1.2, 3.0, 1.7 and 1.7 times. The reduction rate of total acid number to WLO with 40,000, 60,000, 80,000 km were enhanced 16%, 9%, 12% by modified corncob, respectively. The optimal adsorption condition was explored as adsorbing 60 min at 90 °C with 2% adsorbent. Corncob, with the advantages of low cost, good biodegradability and high adsorption capacity, could be used as alternative to conventional adsorbent for WLO.

Integrated NIRS and QTL assays reveal minor mannose and galactose as contrast lignocellulose factors for biomass enzymatic saccharification in rice

BACKGROUND

Identifying lignocellulose recalcitrant factors and exploring their genetic properties are essential for enhanced biomass enzymatic saccharification in bioenergy crops. Despite genetic modification of major wall polymers has been implemented for reduced recalcitrance in engineered crops, it could most cause a penalty of plant growth and biomass yield. Alternatively, it is increasingly considered to improve minor wall components, but an applicable approach is required for efficient assay of large population of biomass samples. Hence, this study collected total of 100 rice straw samples and characterized all minor wall monosaccharides and biomass enzymatic saccharification by integrating NIRS modeling and QTL profiling.

RESULTS

By performing classic chemical analyses and establishing optimal NIRS equations, this study examined four minor wall monosaccharides and major wall polymers (acid-soluble lignin/ASL, acid-insoluble lignin/AIL, three lignin monomers, crystalline cellulose), which led to largely varied hexoses yields achieved from enzymatic hydrolyses after two alkali pretreatments were conducted with large population of rice straws. Correlation analyses indicated that mannose and galactose can play a contrast role for biomass enzymatic saccharification at P < 0.0 l level (n = 100). Meanwhile, we found that the QTLs controlling mannose, galactose, lignin-related traits, and biomass saccharification were co-located. By combining NIRS assay with QTLs maps, this study further interpreted that the mannose-rich hemicellulose may assist AIL disassociation for enhanced biomass enzymatic saccharification, whereas the galactose-rich polysaccharides should be effectively extracted with ASL from the alkali pretreatment for condensed AIL association with cellulose microfibrils.

CONCLUSIONS

By integrating NIRS assay with QTL profiling for large population of rice straw samples, this study has identified that the mannose content of wall polysaccharides could positively affect biomass enzymatic saccharification, while the galactose had a significantly negative impact. It has also sorted out that two minor monosaccharides could distinctively associate with lignin deposition for wall network construction. Hence, this study demonstrates an applicable approach for fast assessments of minor lignocellulose recalcitrant factors and biomass enzymatic saccharification in rice, providing a potential strategy for bioenergy crop breeding and biomass processing.

Diverse Banana Pseudostems and Rachis Are Distinctive for Edible Carbohydrates and Lignocellulose Saccharification towards High Bioethanol Production under Chemical and Liquid Hot Water Pretreatments

Banana is a major fruit crop throughout the world with abundant lignocellulose in the pseudostem and rachis residues for biofuel production. In this study, we collected a total of 11 pseudostems and rachis samples that were originally derived from different genetic types and ecological locations of banana crops and then examined largely varied edible carbohydrates (soluble sugars, starch) and lignocellulose compositions. By performing chemical (H₂SO₄, NaOH) and liquid hot water (LHW) pretreatments, we also found a remarkable variation in biomass enzymatic saccharification and bioethanol production among all banana samples examined. Consequently, this study identified a desirable banana (Refen1, subgroup Pisang Awak) crop containing large amounts of edible carbohydrates and completely digestible lignocellulose, which could be combined to achieve the highest bioethanol yields of 31–38% (% dry matter), compared with previously reported ones in other bioenergy crops. Chemical analysis further indicated that the cellulose CrI and lignin G-monomer should be two major recalcitrant factors affecting biomass enzymatic saccharification in banana pseudostems and rachis. Therefore, this study not only examined rich edible carbohydrates for food in the banana pseudostems but also detected digestible lignocellulose for bioethanol production in rachis tissue, providing a strategy applicable for genetic breeding and biomass processing in banana crops.

The synergistic actions of hydrolytic genes reveal the mechanism of Trichoderma harzianum for cellulose degradation

Bioprospecting genes and proteins related to plant biomass degradation is an attractive approach for the identification of target genes for biotechnological purposes, especially those with potential applications in the biorefinery industry that can enhance second-generation ethanol production technology. Trichoderma harzianum is a potential candidate for cellulolytic enzyme prospection and production. Herein, the enzymatic activities, transcriptome, exoproteome, and coexpression networks of the T. harzianum strain CBMAI-0179 were examined under biomass degradation conditions. We identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) genes related to plant biomass degradation and compared them with those of strains from congeneric species (T. harzianum IOC-3844 and T. atroviride CBMAI-0020). T. harzianum CBMAI-0179 harbors strain- and treatment-specific CAZyme genes and transcription factors. We detected important proteins related to biomass degradation, including β-glucosidases, endoglucanases, cellobiohydrolases, lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases, endo-1,4-β-xylanases and β-mannanases. Based on coexpression networks, an enriched cluster with degradative enzymes was described, and the subnetwork of CAZymes revealed strong correlations among important secreted proteins and differentially expressed CAZyme genes. Our results provide valuable information for future studies on the genetic regulation of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes. This knowledge can be exploited for the improvement of enzymatic reactions in biomass degradation for bioethanol production.

Using Amaranthus green proteins as universal biosurfactant and biosorbent for effective enzymatic degradation of diverse lignocellulose residues and efficient multiple trace metals remediation of farming lands

Improving biomass enzymatic saccharification is effective for crop straw utilization, whereas phytoremediation is efficient for trace metal elimination from polluted agricultural soil. Here, we found that the green proteins extracted from Amaranthus leaf tissue could act as active biosurfactant to remarkably enhance lignocellulose enzymatic saccharification for high bioethanol production examined in eight grassy and woody plants after mild chemical and green-like pretreatments were performed. Notably, this study estimated that total green proteins supply collected from one-hectare-land Amaranth plants could even lead to additional 6400-12,400 tons of bioethanol, being over 10-fold bioethanol yield higher than those of soybean seed proteins and chemical surfactant. Meanwhile, the Amaranth green proteins were characterized as a dominated biosorbent for multiple trace metals (Cd, Pb, As) adsorption, being 2.9-6 folds higher than those of its lignocellulose. The Amaranth plants were also assessed to accumulate much more trace metals than all other plants as previously examined from large-scale contaminated soils. Furthermore, the Amaranth green proteins not only effectively block lignin to release active cellulases for the mostly enhanced biomass hydrolyzes, but also efficiently involve in multiple chemical bindings with Cd, which should thus address critical issues of high-costly biomass waste utilization and low-efficient trace metal remediation.

Comparison of the effects of different pretreatments on the structure and enzymatic hydrolysis of Miscanthus

Miscanthus is regarded as a desired bioenergy crop with enormous lignocellulose residues for biofuels and other chemical products. In this study, the effect of different pretreatments (including microwave, NaOH, CaO, and microwave + NaOH/CaO) on sugar yields was investigated, leading to largely varied hexose yields at 4.0-73.4% (% cellulose) released from enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated Miscanthus residues. Among them, the highest yield of 73.4% for hexoses was obtained from 12% NaOH (w/v) solution pretreatment, whereas 1% CaO (w/w) and microwave pretreatment resulted in a lower hexose yield than the control (without pretreatment). The sugar yield from microwave followed with 1% NaOH pretreatment was 4.3 times higher than that of microwave followed with 1% CaO. However, the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiencies of the sample were 15.2% and 58.5% under microwave pretreatment followed by 12% NaOH or 12.5% CaO, respectively, which were lower than those of the same concentration of alkali (NaOH and CaO) pretreatments. To investigate the mechanism of varied enzymatic saccharification under different pretreatments, the changes in the surface structure and porosity of the Miscanthus-pretreated lignocelluses were studied by means of Fourier transform infrared, Congo red staining, and scanning electron microscopy analysis. The results show that the different pretreatments destroy the cell wall cladding structure and reduce the bonding force between cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin to different degrees, therefore increasing the accessibility of cellulose and enhancing cellulose digestion.

A Semi-Dominant Mutation in OsCESA9 Improves Salt Tolerance and Favors Field Straw Decay Traits by Altering Cell Wall Properties in Rice

BACKGROUND

Cellulose synthase (CESA) mutants have potential use in straw processing due to their lower cellulose content, but almost all of the mutants exhibit defective phenotypes in plant growth and development. Balancing normal plant growth with reduced cellulose content remains a challenge, as cellulose content and normal plant growth are typically negatively correlated with one another.

RESULT

Here, the rice (Oryza sativa) semi-dominant brittle culm (sdbc) mutant Sdbc1, which harbors a substitution (D387N) at the first conserved aspartic acid residue of OsCESA9, exhibits lower cellulose content and reduced secondary wall thickness as well as enhanced biomass enzymatic saccharification compared with the wild type (WT). Further experiments indicated that the OsCESA9^D387N mutation may compete with the wild-type OsCESA9 for interacting with OsCESA4 and OsCESA7, further forming non-functional or partially functional CSCs. The OsCESA9/OsCESA9^D387N heterozygous plants increase salt tolerance through scavenging and detoxification of ROS and indirectly affecting related gene expression. They also improve rice straw return to the field due to their brittle culms and lower cellulose content without any negative effects in grain yield and lodging.

CONCLUSION

Hence, OsCESA9^D387N allele can improve rice salt tolerance and provide the prospect of the rice straw for biofuels and bioproducts due to its improved enzymatic saccharification.

Deep Eutectic Solvents: A Review of Fundamentals and Applications

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are an emerging class of mixtures characterized by significant depressions in melting points compared to those of the neat constituent components. These materials are promising for applications as inexpensive "designer" solvents exhibiting a host of tunable physicochemical properties. A detailed review of the current literature reveals the lack of predictive understanding of the microscopic mechanisms that govern the structure-property relationships in this class of solvents. Complex hydrogen bonding is postulated as the root cause of their melting point depressions and physicochemical properties; to understand these hydrogen bonded networks, it is imperative to study these systems as dynamic entities using both simulations and experiments. This review emphasizes recent research efforts in order to elucidate the next steps needed to develop a fundamental framework needed for a deeper understanding of DESs. It covers recent developments in DES research, frames outstanding scientific questions, and identifies promising research thrusts aligned with the advancement of the field toward predictive models and fundamental understanding of these solvents.

LACCASE14 is required for the deposition of guaiacyl lignin and affects cell wall digestibility in poplar

BACKGROUND

The recalcitrance of lignocellulosic biomass provided technical and economic challenges in the current biomass conversion processes. Lignin is considered as a crucial recalcitrance component in biomass utilization. An in-depth understanding of lignin biosynthesis can provide clues to overcoming the recalcitrance. Laccases are believed to play a role in the oxidation of lignin monomers, leading to the formation of higher-order lignin. In plants, functions of only a few laccases have been evaluated, so little is known about the effect of laccases on cell wall structure and biomass saccharification.

RESULTS

In this study, we screened a gain-of-function mutant with a significant increase in lignin content from Arabidopsis mutant lines overexpressing a full-length poplar cDNA library. Further analysis confirmed that a Chinese white poplar (Populus tomentosa) laccase gene PtoLAC14 was inserted into the mutant, and PtoLAC14 could functionally complement the Arabidopsis lac4 mutant. Overexpression of PtoLAC14 promoted the lignification of poplar and reduced the proportion of syringyl/guaiacyl. In contrast, the CRISPR/Cas9-generated mutation of PtLAC14 results in increased the syringyl/guaiacyl ratios, which led to integrated enhancement on biomass enzymatic saccharification. Notably, the recombinant PtoLAC14 protein showed higher oxidized efficiency to coniferyl alcohol (precursor of guaiacyl unit) in vitro.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that PtoLAC14 plays an important role in the oxidation of guaiacyl deposition on cell wall. The reduced recalcitrance of the PtoLAC14-KO lines suggests that PtoLAC14 is an elite target for cell wall engineering, and genetic manipulation of this gene will facilitate the utilization of lignocellulose.

A grass-specific cellulose-xylan interaction dominates in sorghum secondary cell walls

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is a promising source of lignocellulosic biomass for the production of renewable fuels and chemicals, as well as for forage. Understanding secondary cell wall architecture is key to understanding recalcitrance i.e. identifying features which prevent the efficient conversion of complex biomass to simple carbon units. Here, we use multi-dimensional magic angle spinning solid-state NMR to characterize the sorghum secondary cell wall. We show that xylan is mainly in a three-fold screw conformation due to dense arabinosyl substitutions, with close proximity to cellulose. We also show that sorghum secondary cell walls present a high ratio of amorphous to crystalline cellulose as compared to dicots. We propose a model of sorghum cell wall architecture which is dominated by interactions between three-fold screw xylan and amorphous cellulose. This work will aid the design of low-recalcitrance biomass crops, a requirement for a sustainable bioeconomy.

Sorghum is a source of lignocellulosic biomass for the production of renewable fuels. Here the authors characterise the sorghum secondary cell wall using multi-dimensional magic angle spinning solid-state NMR and present a model dominated by interactions between three-fold screw xylan and amorphous cellulose.

Characterization of Two New brown midrib1 Mutations From an EMS-Mutagenic Maize Population for Lignocellulosic Biomass Utilization

Gene mutations linked to lignin biosynthesis are responsible for the brown midrib (bm) phenotypes. The bm mutants have a brown-reddish midrib associated with changes in lignin content and composition. Maize bm1 is caused by a mutation of the cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase gene ZmCAD2. Here, we generated two new bm1 mutant alleles (bm1-E1 and bm1-E2) through EMS mutagenesis, which contained a single nucleotide mutation (Zmcad2-1 and Zmcad2-2). The corresponding proteins, ZmCAD2-1 and ZmCAD2-2 were modified with Cys103Ser and Gly185Asp, which resulted in no enzymatic activity in vitro. Sequence alignment showed that CAD proteins have high similarity across plants and that Cys103 and Gly185 are conserved in higher plants. The lack of enzymatic activity when Cys103 was replaced for other amino acids indicates that Cys103 is required for its enzyme activity. Enzymatic activity of proteins encoded by CAD genes in bm1-E plants is 23-98% lower than in the wild type, which leads to lower lignin content and different lignin composition. The bm1-E mutants have higher saccharification efficiency in maize and could therefore provide new and promising breeding resources in the future.

In-situ catalytic pyrolysis upgradation of microalgae into hydrocarbon rich bio-oil: Effects of nitrogen and carbon dioxide environment

Pyrolysis of Spirulina Platensis (SP) microalgae was carried out under different reaction environment such as nitrogen (N₂) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) at different reaction temperatures of 300, 350, 400, 450 and 500 °C. Catalytic upgradations were examined over solid acid (ZSM-5) and solid base (MgO) catalyst, and with ZSM-5-MgO catalysts mixtures. Results showed, pyrolysis of non-catalytic biomass yielded maximum bio-oil of 43.6% under N₂. However catalytic upgradation in CO₂ environment produced lower bio-oil due to the coke formation. Maximum bio-oil (46.2 wt%) was obtained with basic metal MgO catalyst in N₂ environment compared to other catalyst and environments. Mixture of MgO-ZSM-5 catalyst improved the bio-oil yield (37.8-48.6 wt%) compared to individual catalytic reaction under N₂ and CO₂. Higher high heating value (HHV) was observed in catalytic bio-oil 36.8 MJ/Kg. Bio-oil (catalytic) analysis revealed that 64-70% of compounds are in hydrocarbon range. Bio-oil was rich in hydrocarbons of C₇-C₁₈ range with less oxygenated compounds.

Properties of Polyvinyl Alcohol Films Composited With Hemicellulose and Nanocellulose Extracted From Artemisia selengensis Straw

Artemisia selengensis straw is an agricultural residue with great potential as a renewable resource because it is rich in lignocellulose. In this study, A. selengensis straw was used as a source of hemicelluloses (ASH) and cellulose nanocrystals (ASCNC) to produce biodegradable films. Different content levels of ASCNC were used as additives to improve composite films with ASH and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Various mechanical and hydrophobic properties of the films were analyzed. The composite films enhanced by ASCNC exhibited greater strength and were more effective as a barrier to water vapor when compared to that of the control ASH/PVA film. The tensile strength of the composite film was increased 80.1% to 36.21 MPa with ASCNC loading exceeding 9%, and the water vapor transmission rate decreased 15.45% when 12% ASCNC was added. Furthermore, the ASCNC-enhanced ASH/PVA composite film reduced a greater amount of light transmission than the control film.

Hetero-trans-β-Glucanase Produces Cellulose-Xyloglucan Covalent Bonds in the Cell Walls of Structural Plant Tissues and Is Stimulated by Expansin

Current cell-wall models assume no covalent bonding between cellulose and hemicelluloses such as xyloglucan or mixed-linkage β-d-glucan (MLG). However, Equisetum hetero-trans-β-glucanase (HTG) grafts cellulose onto xyloglucan oligosaccharides (XGOs) - and, we now show, xyloglucan polysaccharide - in vitro, thus exhibiting CXE (cellulose:xyloglucan endotransglucosylase) activity. In addition, HTG also catalyzes MLG-to-XGO bonding (MXE activity). In this study, we explored the CXE action of HTG in native plant cell walls and tested whether expansin exposes cellulose to HTG by disrupting hydrogen bonds. To quantify and visualize CXE and MXE action, we assayed the sequential release of HTG products from cell walls pre-labeled with substrate mimics. We demonstrated covalent cellulose-xyloglucan bonding in plant cell walls and showed that CXE and MXE action was up to 15% and 60% of total transglucanase action, respectively, and peaked in aging, strengthening tissues: CXE in xylem and cells bordering intercellular canals and MXE in sclerenchyma. Recombinant bacterial expansin (EXLX1) strongly augmented CXE activity in vitro. CXE and MXE action in living Equisetum structural tissues potentially strengthens stems, while expansin might augment the HTG-catalyzed CXE reaction, thereby allowing efficient CXE action in muro. Our methods will enable surveys for comparable reactions throughout the plant kingdom. Furthermore, engineering similar hetero-polymer formation into angiosperm crop plants may improve certain agronomic traits such as lodging tolerance.

Enhanced Biomass Yield of and Saccharification in Transgenic Tobacco Over-Expressing β-Glucosidase

Here, we report an increase in biomass yield and saccharification in transgenic tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacumL.) overexpressing thermostable β-glucosidase from Thermotoga maritima, BglB, targeted to the chloroplasts and vacuoles. The transgenic tobacco plants showed phenotypic characteristics that were significantly different from those of the wild-type plants. The biomass yield and life cycle (from germination to flowering and harvest) of the transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing BglB were 52% higher and 36% shorter than those of the wild-type tobacco plants, respectively, indicating a change in the genome transcription levels in the transgenic tobacco plants. Saccharification in biomass samples from the transgenic tobacco plants was 92% higher than that in biomass samples from the wild-type tobacco plants. The transgenic tobacco plants required a total investment (US$/year) corresponding to 52.9% of that required for the wild-type tobacco plants, but the total biomass yield (kg/year) of the transgenic tobacco plants was 43% higher than that of the wild-type tobacco plants. This approach could be applied to other plants to increase biomass yields and overproduce β-glucosidase for lignocellulose conversion.

Proteomic analysis of a clavata-like phenotype mutant in Brassica napus

Rapeseed is one of important oil crops in China. Better understanding of the regulation network of main agronomic traits of rapeseed could improve the yielding of rapeseed. In this study, we obtained an influrescence mutant that showed a fusion phenotype, similar with the Arabidopsis clavata-like phenotype, so we named the mutant as Bnclavata-like (Bnclv-like). Phenotype analysis illustrated that abnormal development of the inflorescence meristem (IM) led to the fused-inflorescence phenotype. At the stage of protein abundance, major regulators in metabolic processes, ROS metabolism, and cytoskeleton formation were seen to be altered in this mutant. These results not only revealed the relationship between biological processes and inflorescence meristem development, but also suggest bioengineering strategies for the improved breeding and production of Brassica napus.

Engineering of Bioenergy Crops: Dominant Genetic Approaches to Improve Polysaccharide Properties and Composition in Biomass

Large-scale, sustainable production of lignocellulosic bioenergy from biomass will depend on a variety of dedicated bioenergy crops. Despite their great genetic diversity, prospective bioenergy crops share many similarities in the polysaccharide composition of their cell walls, and the changes needed to optimize them for conversion are largely universal. Therefore, biomass modification strategies that do not depend on genetic background or require mutant varieties are extremely valuable. Due to their preferential fermentation and conversion by microorganisms downstream, the ideal bioenergy crop should contain a high proportion of C6-sugars in polysaccharides like cellulose, callose, galactan, and mixed-linkage glucans. In addition, the biomass should be reduced in inhibitors of fermentation like pentoses and acetate. Finally, the overall complexity of the plant cell wall should be modified to reduce its recalcitrance to enzymatic deconstruction in ways that do no compromise plant health or come at a yield penalty. This review will focus on progress in the use of a variety of genetically dominant strategies to reach these ideals. Due to the breadth and volume of research in the field of lignin bioengineering, this review will instead focus on approaches to improve polysaccharide component plant biomass. Carbohydrate content can be dramatically increased by transgenic overexpression of enzymes involved in cell wall polysaccharide biosynthesis. Additionally, the recalcitrance of the cell wall can be reduced via the overexpression of native or non-native carbohydrate active enzymes like glycosyl hydrolases or carbohydrate esterases. Some research in this area has focused on engineering plants that accumulate cell wall-degrading enzymes that are sequestered to organelles or only active at very high temperatures. The rationale being that, in order to avoid potential negative effects of cell wall modification during plant growth, the enzymes could be activated post-harvest, and post-maturation of the cell wall. A potentially significant limitation of this approach is that at harvest, the cell wall is heavily lignified, making the substrates for these enzymes inaccessible and their activity ineffective. Therefore, this review will only include research employing enzymes that are at least partially active under the ambient conditions of plant growth and cell wall development.

Marginal Lands to Grow Novel Bio-Based Crops: A Plant Breeding Perspective

The biomass demand to fuel a growing global bio-based economy is expected to tremendously increase over the next decades, and projections indicate that dedicated biomass crops will satisfy a large portion of it. The establishment of dedicated biomass crops raises huge concerns, as they can subtract land that is required for food production, undermining food security. In this context, perennial biomass crops suitable for cultivation on marginal lands (MALs) raise attraction, as they could supply biomass without competing for land with food supply. While these crops withstand marginal conditions well, their biomass yield and quality do not ensure acceptable economic returns to farmers and cost-effective biomass conversion into bio-based products, claiming genetic improvement. However, this is constrained by the lack of genetic resources for most of these crops. Here we first review the advantages of cultivating novel perennial biomass crops on MALs, highlighting management practices to enhance the environmental and economic sustainability of these agro-systems. Subsequently, we discuss the preeminent breeding targets to improve the yield and quality of the biomass obtainable from these crops, as well as the stability of biomass production under MALs conditions. These targets include crop architecture and phenology, efficiency in the use of resources, lignocellulose composition in relation to bio-based applications, and tolerance to abiotic stresses. For each target trait, we outline optimal ideotypes, discuss the available breeding resources in the context of (orphan) biomass crops, and provide meaningful examples of genetic improvement. Finally, we discuss the available tools to breed novel perennial biomass crops. These comprise conventional breeding methods (recurrent selection and hybridization), molecular techniques to dissect the genetics of complex traits, speed up selection, and perform transgenic modification (genetic mapping, QTL and GWAS analysis, marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, transformation protocols), and novel high-throughput phenotyping platforms. Furthermore, novel tools to transfer genetic knowledge from model to orphan crops (i.e., universal markers) are also conceptualized, with the belief that their development will enhance the efficiency of plant breeding in orphan biomass crops, enabling a sustainable use of MALs for biomass provision.

Quantum dots are conventionally applicable for wide-profiling of wall polymer distribution and destruction in diverse cells of rice

Plant cell walls represent enormous biomass resources for biofuels, and it thus becomes important to establish a sensitive and wide-applicable approach to visualize wall polymer distribution and destruction during plant growth and biomass process. Despite quantum dots (QDs) have been applied to label biological specimens, little is reported about its application in plant cell walls. Here, semiconductor QDs (CdSe/ZnS) were employed to label the secondary antibody directed to the epitopes of pectin or xylan, and sorted out the optimal conditions for visualizing two polysaccharides distribution in cell walls of rice stem. Meanwhile, the established QDs approach could simultaneously highlight wall polysaccharides and lignin co-localization in different cell types. Notably, this work demonstrated that the QDs labeling was sensitive to profile distinctive wall polymer destruction between alkali and acid pretreatments with stem tissues of rice. Hence, this study has provided a powerful tool to characterize wall polymer functions in plant growth and development in vivo, as well as their distinct roles during biomass process in vitro.

Improvement of Saccharification and Delignification Efficiency of Trichoderma reesei Rut-C30 by Genetic Bioengineering

Trichoderma reesei produces various saccharification enzymes required for biomass degradation. However, the lack of an effective lignin-degrading enzyme system reduces the species’ efficiency in producing fermentable sugars and increases the pre-treatment costs for biofuel production. In this study, we heterologously expressed the Ganoderma lucidum RMK1 versatile peroxidase gene (vp1) in the Rut-C30 strain of T. reesei. The expression of purified 6×His-tag–containing recombinant G. lucidum-derived protein (rVP1) was confirmed through western blot, which exhibited a single band with a relative molecular weight of 39 kDa. In saccharification and delignification studies using rice straw, the transformant (tVP7, T. reesei Rut-C30 expressing G. lucidum-derived rVP1) showed significant improvement in the yield of total reducing sugar and delignification, compared with that of the parent T. reesei Rut-C30 strain. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of tVP7-treated paddy straw showed extensive degradation of several layers of its surface compared with the parent strain due to the presence of G. lucidum-derived rVP1. Our results suggest that the expression of ligninolytic enzymes in cellulase hyperproducing systems helps to integrate the pre-treatment and saccharification steps that may ultimately reduce the costs of bioethanol production.

Brassinosteroid overproduction improves lignocellulose quantity and quality to maximize bioethanol yield under green-like biomass process in transgenic poplar

BACKGROUND

As a leading biomass feedstock, poplar plants provide enormous lignocellulose resource convertible for biofuels and bio-chemicals. However, lignocellulose recalcitrance particularly in wood plants, basically causes a costly bioethanol production unacceptable for commercial marketing with potential secondary pollution to the environment. Therefore, it becomes important to reduce lignocellulose recalcitrance by genetic modification of plant cell walls, and meanwhile to establish advanced biomass process technology in woody plants. Brassinosteroids, plant-specific steroid hormones, are considered to participate in plant growth and development for biomass production, but little has been reported about brassinosteroids roles in plant cell wall assembly and modification. In this study, we generated transgenic poplar plant that overexpressed DEETIOLATED2 gene for brassinosteroids overproduction. We then detected cell wall feature alteration and examined biomass enzymatic saccharification for bioethanol production under various chemical pretreatments.

RESULTS

Compared with wild type, the PtoDET2 overexpressed transgenic plants contained much higher brassinosteroids levels. The transgenic poplar also exhibited significantly enhanced plant growth rate and biomass yield by increasing xylem development and cell wall polymer deposition. Meanwhile, the transgenic plants showed significantly improved lignocellulose features such as reduced cellulose crystalline index and degree of polymerization values and decreased hemicellulose xylose/arabinose ratio for raised biomass porosity and accessibility, which led to integrated enhancement on biomass enzymatic saccharification and bioethanol yield under various chemical pretreatments. In contrast, the CRISPR/Cas9-generated mutation of PtoDET2 showed significantly lower brassinosteroids level for reduced biomass saccharification and bioethanol yield, compared to the wild type. Notably, the optimal green-like pretreatment could even achieve the highest bioethanol yield by effective lignin extraction in the transgenic plant. Hence, this study proposed a mechanistic model elucidating how brassinosteroid regulates cell wall modification for reduced lignocellulose recalcitrance and increased biomass porosity and accessibility for high bioethanol production.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has demonstrated a powerful strategy to enhance cellulosic bioethanol production by regulating brassinosteroid biosynthesis for reducing lignocellulose recalcitrance in the transgenic poplar plants. It has also provided a green-like process for biomass pretreatment and enzymatic saccharification in poplar and beyond.

Cotton CSLD3 restores cell elongation and cell wall integrity mainly by enhancing primary cellulose production in the Arabidopsis cesa6 mutant

Overexpression of cotton cellulose synthase like D3 (GhCSLD3) gene partially rescued growth defect of atcesa6 mutant with restored cell elongation and cell wall integrity mainly by enhancing primary cellulose production. Among cellulose synthase like (CSL) family proteins, CSLDs share the highest sequence similarity to cellulose synthase (CESA) proteins. Although CSLD proteins have been implicated to participate in the synthesis of carbohydrate-based polymers (cellulose, pectins and hemicelluloses), and therefore plant cell wall formation, the exact biochemical function of CSLD proteins remains controversial and the function of the remaining CSLD genes in other species have not been determined. In this study, we attempted to illustrate the function of CSLD proteins by overexpressing Arabidopsis AtCSLD2, -3, -5 and cotton GhCSLD3 genes in the atcesa6 mutant, which has a background that is defective for primary cell wall cellulose synthesis in Arabidopsis. We found that GhCSLD3 overexpression partially rescued the growth defect of the atcesa6 mutant during early vegetative growth. Despite the atceas6 mutant having significantly reduced cellulose contents, the defected cell walls and lower dry mass, GhCSLD3 overexpression largely restored cell wall integrity (CWI) and improved the biomass yield. Our result suggests that overexpression of the GhCSLD protein enhances primary cell wall synthesis and compensates for the loss of CESAs, which is required for cellulose production, therefore rescuing defects in cell elongation and CWI.